Grain-door.



G. R. PRATT.

GRAIN DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.17,1914.

1,127,089. Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l WITNESSES IESYRIgNTOR THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTO-LITHCL, WASHINGTON, D. 1

G. R. PRATT.

GRAIN DOOR. I APPLICATION FILED 11111117, 1914.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 WITNESSES INVENTOR Q 5Q @Am;

THE NORRIS PETERS C0,, PHOTOLITHO.. wAsl-lnv u c,

GEORGE ROBERT PIRATE, OF NINNILPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA.

GRAIN-DOOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

Application filed March 17, 1914. Serial No. 825,274.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE ROBERT PRATT, of the city of Winnipeg, in the Province of Manitoba, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvemerits in Grain-Doors, of which the following is the specification.

The invention relates to improvements in grain doors and the object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive, easily operated and durable door which can be readily applied in a car and which will operate to effect the quick release of the grain from a car when the said door is unlocked, a special lock being provided to retain the door closed during transit.

With the above objects in view the invention consists essentially in a door formed from three sections hinged together in a special manner and a locking bolt secured to the door, the parts being arranged and constructed as hereinafter more particularly described and later pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure 1 represents an exterior View of a car with the door applied and closed. Fig. 2 is an interior view of the car with the door applied and closed. Fig. 3 is an exterior view of the car showing the door partially open. Fig. 4. is a longitudinal sectional view through the door, the section being taken in the plane denoted by the line XX, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents an enlarged detailed sectional view through the joint formed between two of the door sections, the section being taken in the plane denoted by the line YY' Fig. 1. Fig. 6 represents an enlarged detailed sectional view through the joint formed between two of the door sections, the section being taken in the plane denoted by the line Z-Z' Fig. 1. Fig. 7 represents an enlarged detailed face view of the locking bolt. Fig. 8 represents a side view of a portion of the locking bolt.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

1 and 2 represent the door posts of a car, 3 the sill and 4: the upper cross beam or lintel which parts bound the usual doorway opening 5.

6 represents the usual metal wearing strip applied on the door sill between the posts.

7 represents the door which is of a width such that when placed in the car the ends thereof bear against the inner faces of the posts.

The door is formed in the present instance from three sections, a main or body section 8 and two side sections 9 and 10 these latter being connected in a particular manner by sets of hinges 11 and 12 to the main section. The main section of the door is more or less of a V -shape form, the greatest width thereof being at the top. The side sections are more or less in the form of right angle triangles so that when they are secured by the hinges to the main section a rectangular door is formed having two angularly disposed downwardly converging joints therein.

The main section is supplied on the front side with a vertically disposed and centrally located reinforcing strip 13 and has the two edges thereof fitted with two angularly disposed reinforcing strips 14: and 15. The side sections 9 and 10 of the door are fitted on the sides next the main section with reinforcing strips 16 and 17 respectively while the outer edges carry further vertically disposed reinforcing strips 18 and 19. The lower halves of the strips 14 and 15 are somewhat wider than the upper halves and are applied in such a manner that the lower halves thereof extend beyond the edges of the main door section while the upper halves thereof are set back from the edges of the main door section, this particular construction being best shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings. The upper halves of the strips 16 and 17 are somewhat wider than the lower halves and the strips are applied on the side sections of the door in such a manner that the upper halves extend beyond the edges of the door sections while the lower halves are set back from the edges of the door sections. This form of construction provides an overlap in the joints of the main door sections in the upper half of the door and an overlap on the side sections on the lower half of the door. This form of overlap is important for a reason later explained but I wish to point out that the strips might be cut to produce a different form of overlap while accomplishing the same object without in the least departing from the spirit of the invention.

20 is a locking bolt pivotally secured by a strap 21 to the lower edge of the main sec tion of the door. This locking bolt has the plate 6, the sill being suitably cut awaybeneath the plate to admit it;

The door is placed in the car with the outer edges of the side sections bearing against-the inner faces of thepostatheside sections at this time being contained in the same vertical plane as the body section. By passing the -T-end of the boltthrough the slot and turning theleveragainst the'fal'ceof the door: the door is locked against outward displacement and also-against rising.

Inorder to understand the object of the particular joint iormed between" the sections it isnecessary to considerthe stresses when the door is locked in posi-tionandthe car loaded with grain. The buckling :pressure of thegrain on the lower half of=themain section of the door istaken up directly by the bolt while the pressureof the grainon I the lower halvesof the side sectionsis taken up on the outerside by the-posts'and'onthe inner -sideby the overlap formed in the joint. ln'other words the hingeson the lower half ofthe' door are relieved ofthe pressureowingfto the-factthat the-lower halves of the strips 14 and 15 overlap the side sections 9 and- 10 and consequently the pressure'at-i'this point 'is taken up; by the lower ha l tot the main section-and transmitted: to the locking bolt. In the upper half of the door the pressure of the grain is taken up in a reverse manners The up per halves of the strips 16" and'17- carrieolby the side sections overlapwthe main door sec- 'tion. Accordingly the-pressure on-the-u'pper half of the main door section istransmitted directly'to the-side sections and is carried by the posts. As there is little turning moment on the upper halves of the side sections owin'g to" the grain "pressure there is little stress on the upper hinges.

When it is required to open the door it is only necessary to release the bolt,'turn the lever outwardly and raisethe bolt clear of tllQSlOiiw The pressure of the grain then buckles the door, the lower edge thereof swinging outwardly in a manner as best shown in Fig.13 of the drawings.

VVhatI-claim as my invention is 1. grain door comprising a substantially-V-shaped main section and substantially triangular shaped end sections secured by hinged joints to the edges of the mainsection, the joints so formed being constructed to effect the overlapping of the upper halves of the side sections on the main door sections and the-overlapping of the lower half of the main door section on the side sections; as and forthe purpose specified.

2; The combinationwith a door post and sill of a car, of a grain door formed from asubstantially V-shaped main sectionand substantially triangular shaped end sections havingtheir inner edges secured pivot joints-to the edges of the main section and theirou-ter edges bearing'against the inner faces of the posts" and releasable means securing ,the bottom of themain section to the sillthe joint between the sections-being constructed to efliect the transfer of the bursting stresses of the upper portion of the nrain section to the upper portions of the side sections, and the bursting stresses on the lower portions of the side sections to lower portion oi the main section.

Signed at Winnipeg this24th day of January1 914. I

' GEORGE ROBERT PRATT.- In the presence of-- G,;S.- ROX BURGH, SVSILVERT.

Copies of this peten't maybe obtained ior five 'cents'each, addressing the Commissioner offa'tents, Washington; DJ (5. 

